XVIII.

ESSAY ON THE DISCIPLINE OF THE CHURCH OF

ROME RESPECTING THE GENERAL PERUSAL OF

THE SCRIPTURES IN THE VULGAR TONGUE BY
THE LAITY.

THIS publication was owing to certain harsh pamphlets, published about the time when it made its appearance, in which the principles and practice of the catholics in this article of the discipline of their church had been greatly misrepresented,their restrictions on the perusal of the bible immoderately exaggerated, and some violent but groundless attacks made on a society of catholics then engaged in the publication of a new edition of Dr. Challoner's version of the New Testament, and of books of devotion for the use of poor catholics.

This leads to a consideration of the Bible-societies: a difference of opinion respecting them is known to prevail among protestants; but much of it seems to depend on the manner, in which the question on their merit is stated. If it be asked, whether christianity is best taught to a child, or to persons generally uneducated, by a good catechism and good instruction; or by the mere perusal of the bible, without either? it must, in the opinion of the Reminiscent, be answered,-by the catechism and instruction.

He presumes, absit invidia verbo,--to assert, that, taking a protestant boy of the age of ten years, who

has read the bible, in the manner in which it is usually read before that age in England, and a catholic boy of the same age, who has been taught the French parochial catechism, and Fleury's Historical Catechism, in the manner in which these were usually taught even to the poorest French children, the latter will be found to have a fuller and a clearer knowledge of the history, the morality, and the religion of the Old and New Testaments than the former. On the other hand, if it be asked, whether, in cases where a bible can be procured, but no other instruction can be obtained, it is better that children and persons uneducated should have than be without the bible,-does it not appear quite monstrous to say, that the bible should be withheld from them? These are extreme cases,-the application of them to the mesne is not very difficult.

In the writer's humble opinion, wherever full catechetical and other proper instruction is given, the circulation of the bible in the vernacular language, among the uninformed laity, is not to be encouraged; but in the absence of other instruction, the circulation of such a bible is very desirable. Some things in the sacred volume are hard to be understood; but it contains a multitude that edify, that instruct, that inculcate true morality, that excite true devotion.

In a rescript addressed by his holiness Pius the seventh, to the vicars apostolic of Great Britain, dated the 8th of April 1820, his holiness exhorts them to take care that "the faithful abstain from "reading the wicked books, in which, in these cala"mitous times, our religion is worthlessly attacke

"from all sides; and that they should be strength"ened in faith and good works, by the reading of

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pious books, and particularly the holy scriptures, "in editions approved by the church;-you preceding them by word and example."-" Ut à perversorum librorum lectione, quibus calamitosis"simis hisce temporibus sancta nostra religio undique impetitur, abstineant; ut piorum librorum, præsertim sacrarum scripturarum lectione, in "editionibus ab ecclesiâ approbatis, in fide et in "bonis operibus, vobis verbo et exemplo præeuntibus, confortentur.”

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Cardinal Baussêt observes, in his interesting life of Bossuet*, that, upon the revocation of the edict of Nantes, government, at the suggestion of that prelate, printed at the public expense, 50,000 copies of the translation of the New Testament by father Amelotte, and distributed them in the provinces.

* Vol. iv. p. 83,

WORK INTITULED

PRINCIPLES IN REFERENCE TO GOD AND THE

66 KING, PUBLISHED IN 1680."

THIS work has always been considered by learned and impartial catholics, to exhibit a just and accurate statement of their principles on such of the two great points, mentioned in its title, as are subjects of controversy between catholics and protestants; it is particularly interesting, as it was noticed by lord viscount Stafford on his trial. A new edition of it has been recently published, by the reverend John Kirk, the roman-catholic pastor at Litchfield. In an elaborate preface, this learned gentleman gives an account of the various editions of The Principles, and offers strong reasons for believing that the work was composed by father James Corker, abbot of the English benedictine abbey of Lambspring in Germany.

XX.

AN ESSAY ON THE REUNION OF CHRISTIANS.

THIS publication exposed the Reminiscent to. some ungentle animadversions.

1. By some, he was accused of improperly softening the doctrine and discipline of the romancatholic church, in order to make the reunion of the protestant churches to it appear more easy, than it is in reality but, as he transcribes the Creed of Pope Pius the fourth, and refers his readers to the Catechism of the Council of Trent, to Bossuet's Exposition of Faith, and to Dr. Challoner's Statement of Christian Doctrine, as works containing a complete account of the roman-catholic creed, he cannot conceive that there is the least real ground for this objection.

2. A still more serious charge was brought against the writer, by citing from his work, a passage, in which he particularizes eleven articles of religious belief, in which all denominations of christians agree. Strange to relate!-these have been repeatedly held forth, as containing the whole of the writer's own creed, and he has therefore been styled a latitudinarian :-Never was there a more groundless charge.

The Reminiscent first noticed the projects of reunion and the articles of agreement in his "Revo"lutions of the German empire."-He begs leave to transcribe from it, and the Essay, the whole of this